SC Bars Transitioning To Free Pouring Alcohol

December 29, 2005Your New Year’s Eve drink in South Carolina may be different than one on New Year’s Day. News 12 is on your side with how South Carolina bars are preparing to use free pour alcohol.

At Aiken’s Westside Bowery, owner Sam Erb puts out the last of his mini bottles. Starting New Year’s Day, free pour bottles are legal in South Carolina.

“This is a day we’ve been waiting for. It’s taken us almost 16 years to get to this point,” Erb said.

But now it’s time for bars across the state to accommodate.

“What we’ll be doing is adding speed racks through out the front, changing the back to a tiered thing to house the large bottles,” Erb said.

For the first few months of the year, most bars will use mini bottles and free pouring bottles as they use up their old stock.

Look for some new choices because South Carolina bars will be able to make drinks they couldn’t with mini bottles.

They may be small bottles, but they make a big drink. In a White Russian you have vodka and kahlua. Using mini bottles, you have to pour the whole thing and this is how much alcohol is in it. With the new free pour this is how much alcohol is in it. It’s cheaper and safer.

Erb says he’ll feel better sending customers home.

“You drink three of these, you go on the streets and you could get a DUI. You have 3, safer free pour drinks and you’re not,” Erb said.

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